Numerous devices have been developed over the years to measure the location of various facial points as well as to measure the dimensions of various facial features. Most such devices have been developed to assist medical professionals in, for example, forming dentures or restructuring facial bones. See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 1,976,045; U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,534; U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,720, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,260; U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,712, U.S. Pat. No. 2,154,158 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,850.
There has been little success, however, in developing a practical facial measurement device for assisting in the fitting of facially worn apparatuses such as respirator masks. In general, facial measurement devices developed for use in the medical and dental arts are either inoperative or too complicated, cumbersome and/or expensive for use in sizing respirator masks. Nonetheless, it is extremely important to fit a respirator face mask properly to the face of the person wearing the mask to ensure an adequate seal of the mask to that person's face because such respirator masks are usually worn for protection in environments containing extremely hazardous gases where a breach in the mask seal may result in serious injury or death.
Currently, users of respirator face masks must be fitted for such respirator masks by a trial-and-error process wherein the user must sequentially try on one or more actual respirator masks and be fit tested in each such mask until an appropriate size is identified. See OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 C.F.R. 1910.134. This procedure can become very inconvenient and time consuming, especially in an industrial setting where a large number of individuals must be fitted. ANSI Z88.2-1992 entitled "Standard Practices for Respiratory Protection" sets forth the proper procedures for conducting a fit test program.
It is, therefore, very desirable to develop a practical device and/or method for assisting in the selection of a correct respirator face mask for a user to avoid repeated fit tests.